The low cost of modern electronic technology has made remote control units affordable for the majority of businesses and individuals. In fact, it is not uncommon for the typical business or household to have multiple remote control units, such as for televisions, receivers, video recorders, compact disc players and other electronic, audio-visual equipment. These remote control units are frequently used in areas of the home or office that are dark or dimly lit, which makes it difficult to select a proper function or channel key. The frustration caused by selecting the wrong function or channel is compounded when the user must find the nearest light switch or repeatedly attempt to select the correct key, thereby disrupting the comfort of the person or the impact or presentation of the audio or visual work.
There have been various attempts to address the problem of inadequately lit remote controls, such as by providing an independent light source attached to or in proximity with the remote control console. However, they have been less than satisfactory in providing a lighting device for remote control consoles that does not disturbingly reflect light into the user's eyes and which is easy to operate.
Currently available remote control console illuminators require the user to manually switch the light source on each time the light is required for operating the remote control unit. Typically, these illuminators are battery operated and require the user to actuate the switch of the light source by pushing or turning a button, operate the remote control unit and then deactivate the light by pushing or turning the button. Often the user may decide to bypass all the repeated steps by simply leaving the light on. Also, currently available light attachments are not configured to provide optimum lighting, while not causing obstructive or distracting reflections and shadows. Frequently, the placement of the light source causes the user's hand to block the light when attempting to reach onto the keyboard to select the desired function key.
Thus, currently available illuminators are inconvenient to operate, are wasteful of battery life, cause distracting reflective light and shadows and do not provide optimum illumination. Eventually, the user may decide it is easier and cheaper to simply return to their previous "best guess" method of selecting the desired channel or function key.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a light source which can be removed and attached to a remote control console.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an easy to use light source which is removably attached to the bottom of a remote control unit, and which is adjustable to direct optimum amounts of light onto the keyboard of the remote control console.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a touch activated light source for a remote control unit which can be operated with one hand, and which can be selectively adjusted with respect to the remote control unit so as to prevent obscuring of the light path by the user's hands, keys or other objects.
In accordance with the present invention, all of these objects, as well as others not herein specifically identified, are achieved generally by the present touch operated lighting attachment. More specifically, the present touch operated lighting attachment includes a lighting attachment for a remote control keyboard having a light source operationally connected to a central body or control box through a post assembly. The post assembly is fully adjustable for positioning at various selected positions relative to the remote control console and over the keyboard. The control box consists of an upper cover panel, a lower cover panel and an internal circuit board panel. The control box houses a switching circuit that is formed on the circuit board panel and which is operationally connected to the light source. The control box can be releasably attached to the body of a remote control console. Additionally, the present lighting attachment or illumination device includes an electronic switch that is activated and conducts an electrical current to illuminate the light source when the user simultaneously touches touch activation plates located on the control box.